The Masquerade Saga
by kidchaor24
Summary: Alice's grandson, Michael, has noticed he transforms into the mysterious figure known as "Masquerade." However, whenever he asks his grandma for help, she replies with a slight fear. Who is this Masquerade, and what does he want?
1. The Saga Begins

~Prologue~

"Futile boy! Give up! You've lost!"

"That's what you think, old man, gate card, set! Bakugan brawl! Reaper, stand!"

"Psh, a pathetic reaper, you think you can defeat me with that?" Boasted the mysterious figure.

Now that was the lighting the fuse on Masquerade's temper. "It's more than enough with the likes of you, now go!!"

"Fine fine, your destruction will come in due time." Replied the figure. "Gate card, set, Bakugan brawl! Naga, stand!"

He was done. "That's ridiculous, relying on Naga to bail you out every time. Bakugan, brawl! Dual Hydranoid, stand!"

"Gate card, open! Well, what do you know, it's the Naga character card! This means that master Naga gains double the bonus he normally would from the card bonus." Replied the figure.

"Hardly going to help any, just watch. Ability card, activate, magnetic polarization! With this card, your Bakugan is pulled to my card." Masquerade said with a certain flare in his voice, as if upset by something.

"So what? Naga still has more than 500 g's more than Hydranoid!" The figure said mockingly.

"Heh, wanna bet on who's gonna win this battle?" Masquerade responded confidently. "Gate card, open."

With that slight motion of his hand, the card shone with a bright light, revealing what it previously hid, the Tricky Gate card, allowing the Bakugan with the lowest G-Power to win the battle.

"No!!!! It cannot be! Master Naga!"

As the dark figure uttered these words, the Bakugan known as Naga was surrounded by purple light, and dragged off of the battlefield, towards a dark purple and black wormhole that had opened up just seconds previously.

"I shall have my revenge, Masquerade, you can count on it!" Bellowed the Bakugan as he was dragged into the Doom Dimension, a gruesome fate for a bakugan.

Chapter 1: Masquerade's Mission

"No, that's not it, but what is it?"

Masquerade began to question himself, and his mission. As to what that mission was, he didn't quite know yet, but he'd find out. As he continued to ponder these things, he picked up his family photo album and began to flip through the pages, wondering what to do next. Seeing all the smiling faces of his family members brought another question to the fore-front: What was this mask he wore now? What purpose did it serve? He didn't know the answers to those questions, but he was gonna find out.

That's it! That was his mission now, he was going to find out what purpose the mask served, no matter the cost. Closing the photo album, he decided it was time to visit Grandma Alice.

Chapter 2: Alice

Removing the mask, Masquerade's flaming yellow hair shortened into jagged red hair, the white coat slowly fading away, revealing a black vest over a red T-shirt, and the purple pants slowly turning black. Knocking on the door, Masquerade, now Michael, held his breath, waiting for an answer.

The door slowly opening, if soon revealed Grandma Alice's friendly smile.

"Michael! So good to see you, I hope you've been well!" She warmly greeted him.

"It's nice to see you too Grandma, but I came here to discuss something important with you." He replied with a taut expression on his face.

"Oh dear, come in, come in."

Closing the door behind him, Michael then removed his shoes, and entered the next room following Alice.

Taking the seat across from her, he prepared himself for what she might say, or if she would even believe him. Even if she didn't, he had to ask. Taking the mask out of his pocket, he handed it to his grandma and said "Grandma, do you know anything about this mask?"

The shock that covered her face said it all. "Wh-wh-where did you get that mask?" She asked him, trembling as she spoke.

"I found it on my face one morning when I woke up, and it seems like it has it's own personality. So, I'm guessing you know something about this mask then?" He inquired.

"Do you want the whole story?"

"Yes, I need to know all about who or what this mask is."

"Okay, it all started when I was about your age...."

Chapter 3: Recollection of Evil

"I walked into my grandfather's lab, and immediately sensed something was different. There seemed to be something, offset, something, evil, about his lab. He greeted me as normal, and he began to tell me about an experiment trying to connect two worlds, our world, and a world called Vestroia. Little did I know that this would be the day that would change my life forever, the day I came to be, Masquerade"

"Wait, wait, so you were the original Masquerade?" He inquired quizzically. "I'm sorry Alice, but you just don't seem the type to be evil like Masquerade."

"That's correct, but I didn't have a choice, for I had been exposed to the negative energies now found in the lab. I became Masquerade, and somehow he could take control whenever he wanted to, using me as a tool to listen in on my friends' and I's conversations, that's why he always seemed to be one step ahead of the Brawlers."

"Did the mask seem to be trying to fulfill a purpose?"

"The only purpose he had while he was with me was to send all Bakugan to the Doom Dimension. After we knew him and I were the same, I left the Brawlers to find myself, but I finally realized the Brawlers needed me more than I thought. I turned into Masquerade once more to save Dan, and that's when he left for good, or at least I thought."

"Well, obviously he didn't." Michael replied mockingly.

"That's what concerns me." Alice said, worry and fear covering her face. "Has he taken control of you that you know of?"

"As far as I know, he hasn't even come close, the only time he has control is when I let him take it."

"You tell him to take it?"

"Yeah, whenever I need a boost, I let him have control, and whenever he's done, he gives me control back. Sometimes, I even take over while I'm Masquerade."

"So, you can control him?" She inquired with an awkward tone.

"It would seem so."

"Well, I couldn't help you there, he never let me take over. Tell me, has he ever used the Doom card?"

"Yeah, we just used it in a brawl against some creeps named Hal-G and Naga."

"Hal-G? That's the man who took over my grandfather when he was exposed to the negative energy, and Naga? Oh dear, this is all starting to worry me so much." She replied with concern.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that this worried you from the start." He spoke with a coy grin on his face. "Well, I'm gonna head out now Grandma, I'll see you later."

Following him back to the door, Alice watched as he put his shoes on and headed out the door. Why had the mask come back, and more importantly, why on her grandson? This was all so confusing, maybe it was time she contacted Marucho.

Author's Notes:

I know, generally short "chapters" but that's why I'm uploading multiple ones at a time. Please comment on the story and tell me how I can improve the story =D


	2. Masquerade's Prey

Chapter 4: The Mind's Dojo

"Shun, is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing Skyress."

"Shun, after all the time we've known each other, do you really expect me to believe you?"

"Not really, but do you honestly want to know?"

"Yes Shun, I believe it's only fair."

"Okay, well, why did you bakugan come back to Earth, and more importantly, why now? Is Vestroia collapsing on itself again?"

"No Shun, Vestroia is fine, as to why we ended up coming back, I do not know."

Rising from his seat, Shun stretched and continued walking out into the garden outside of his residence, heading towards the crystal blue, serene lake. Reaching out with his cane, Shun pressed a symbol on one of the small statues on the shore of the lake, when a small bridge began to rise out of the lake. Walking accross the bridge, he stopped at the entrance of a small pagoday, standing there in silent meditationa moment, before walking in. Lined along the walls were a plethora of Bakugan, beside each one a gate card or ability card.

"My my, you've certainly been busy Shun."

"Heh. Yes well, when I heard that Bakugan had begun falling from the sky once more, I searced my hardest to find as many as I could, hoping I would find you."

"Well Shun, that way it would only have been a matter of time, correct?"

"I was hoping that was the case Skyress."

As he finished this sentence, Shun reached the end of the hall of Bakugan, reaching out and opening a door. Walking into the room, he reached over, searching the wall for the switch. Admitting defeat, he finally just gave a simple clap, illuminating the room with light.

"Why not just do that in the first place?" Skyress inquired with interest.

"I prefer the challenges in life." Shun replied with a sly grin on his face.

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Chapter 5: Marucho's Conundrum

"What?! Are you serious Alice?!"

Picking himself up off the floor from where he had fallen, Marucho replaced his glasses, and quickly returned to his seat accross from Alice, turning to once more face his friend. "I'm sorry but, could you repeat that?"

Well, I guess I should have expected something like this, Alice thought to herself. "I said, my grandson, Michael, visited me the other day, and he told me that he's become Masquerade."

"I thought that was what you said. One question comes to mind: How?" He replied, still trembling from what he'd just heard.

"That's why I came to you, I don't know, Michael doesn't know how either, and I figured you, if anyone, could figure it out."

"Well, Preyas, do you know anything?" Reaching in his pocket, Marucho then pulled out a small blue ball, that quickly transformed, revealing it to be the Bakugan Preyas.

"Nope, sorry Muchacho, I couldn't tell you anything about this, all I know is that it's amking me jumpy, jumpy, and jumpy!"

"Well Alice, do you think you could get him to come here?"

"I'm sure he'd be fine with it, getting to meet one of the old Brawlers."

"Bring him here at about four on Saturday, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you again Marucho."

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Chapter 6: Masquerade's Prey

"Where is he? I need to brawl him, now!" Masquerade snarled to himself, while leaping through the trees. It had been awhile, and Masquerade still wondered if Shun was in his top form. Finally reaching Shun's house, Masquerade paused as he saw the feeble figure come out of a small pagoda, relying on his cane for support. Landing behind him, Masquerade went to reach for his gate card, when Shun began to speak.

"Thinking you can sneak up on me, I'd truly expected better of you Masquerade"

"Heh, so you are still on the top of your game." Masquerade replied with his usual cocky attitude. "What I'm wondering is if you can still provide a challenge for me."

"That's funny, I was wondering the same thing."

"Heh, feeling confident, aren't we Shun? Can you back it up?"

"Let's see."

Reaching for his gatecard, Shun looked over at his opponent. So it was true, Masquerade had returned, but could it still be Alice? Pushing this thought to the side, Shun turned his gatecard and shouted "Bakugan, field open!" quickly being mimicked by Masquerade. Time slowing down, colors swirling, the nostalgia of the even quickly filled Shun with excitement to begin.

"Heh, Doom card, set." With that, and a flick of the wrist, the dreaded doom card was set to the field. "Gate card, set."

"Always relying on the same old tricks, eh Masquerade? Gate card, set." With that the small card landed infront of Masquerade, suddenly enlarging to form the other half of the playing field. "You ready Skyress?"

"I've been waiting for a match against him Shun, am I going in first?"

"Yep." Placing Skyress in the palm of his hand, Shun reached back, and threw Skyress toward the field. "Bakugan brawl!" Watching Skyress roll onto the card, Shun yelled "Storm Skyress, stand!"

Shrouded in a green light, Skyress transformed from a marble sized ball into a large, pheonix-like creature, surrounded by delta-force winds.

"Well, if it isn't Storm Skyress, this should be quick then. Bakugan brawl!" Masquerade said slyly while throwing his Bakugan. Rolling onto the card, it finally stopped, and popped open as Masquerade shouted "Hydranoid, stand!"

Throwing a card towards Skyress, Shun yelled "Ablility card, activate!"

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Author's Notes:

Here we end chapters 4-6 of The Masquerade Saga. I figured during these chapters would be a good time to introduce Shun back to the storyline, and have a Masquerade appearance as well. A cliff hanger at the end, but I needed someway to keep readers interested. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the next chapter, maybe finish the battle between Shun and Masquerade, but you never know, I might change my mind. Keep sending reviews, letting me know how to improve it and what you liked/disliked!


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